Resilient wheel.



I. A. (K: G. W. STAHLE.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APYLIOATION FILED APR. 7, 1910.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. A. '& G. W. STAHLE.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLIOATIOH FILED APR. 7, 1910.

1 1 24,349. Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

3 SHEBTS-BHBET Z.

WITNEEEEE: INVENTEIHE:

J. A. 61: G. W. STAHLB.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLIUA'I'ION FILED APRH], 1910.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

gQsHEETEF-BHBET 3.

INVENTEIREI QM W WITN EEEEE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A STABLE, OF BOSTON, AND CARL W. STABLE, OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS,i

ASSIGNOBS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO STAHLE MECHANICAL TIRE COMPANY,

LIMITED, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

RES ILIENT WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

Application llled April 7, 1910. Serial No. 554,017.

To all whom it may, concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN A. STAHLE and CARL \V. STABLE, citizens of theUnited States, and residents of Boston, county of Suffolk, State ofMassachusetts, and Everett, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts,respectivelv, have invented an I mprovement in Resilient Wheels, of whch the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representinglike parts.

This invention relates to resilient wheels and has for its object torovide a novel wheel of this type which will be sufficiently resilientto take the place fully of neumatic tires and which will be suflicientlyrigid to withstand any lateral or other strain to which the wheel may besubjected when in use on automobiles or similar vehicles.

The features wherein our invention resides will first be described andthen pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view througha wheel em. bodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing theposition the parts would assume when the wheel is supporting a loadedtruck; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line a' .'v, Fig. 1;Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line y 1 Fig. 1; Fig. 5is a sectionon the line a-a, Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the sideflanges of the inner rim.

The wheel comprises a wheel body having a hub and an inner rim and acontinuous annular tread member in the formof an exterior rim whichsurrounds the wheel body and which is resiliently connected thereto, aswill be hereinafter described. The wheel body is shown generally at 3and it has the usual hub 4 by which it is applied to the axle and it isprovided with a rim which comprises the usual annular wooden felly 5 towhich is secured the metal rim or band 6 provided with the flanges 7.The rim member 6 is connected to the wooden felly 5 in any suitable way,as by means of bolts 8, and the rim 6 and flanges 7 may be connected inany suitable or convenient way. Ve have herein shown the rim 6 asprovided with bosses 9 through which are passed the bolts 10 that extendthrough the flanges 7 thereby securing them to the rim 6. Situatedexterior to the wheel body as thus constructed is an exterior rim onwhich is formed the tread surface of the wheel. This exterior rimcomprises an annular body herein shown as made no of two or more sheetmetal annular members 11 and 12 .which are suitably secured together byr1vcts 13 and two or more rings 14 extending around the rim and situatedon the inner side of the members 11 and 12 and two side flanges orplates 15 which are rigidly secured to the exterior rim and whichoverlie the flanges? extending from the wheel body, as clearly seen inFig. 3. The rings 14 may be secured to the exterior rim in various wayswithout departing from the invention. As herein shown we employ annularwooden members 16, 17 which are situated inside of the rim members 11and 12 and which serve to space the rings 14, the members 17 beingplaced between the rings, and the two members 16 being placed exteriorto the rings and between the latter and the flanges 15, and saidflanges, rings and spacing members being rigidly connected by suitablebolts 18.

The tread surface of the exterior rim may be either metal or rubber asdesired. In Figs. 1 and 2, we have shown a simple metal tire 19, and inFig. 3, we have shown a rubber tire 20. Either one may be employed asdesired.

The exterior rim is connected to the wheel body by two sets of springs,and in the special manner to be described. The flanges 7 support aplurality of pins or cross bars 21 to each of which is connected one endof a contracting spiral spring 22 of one set, the other ends of saidsprings being secured to pins 23 carried by ears or sto s 24 formed onthe rings 14. In the embodiment of the invention herein shown the pins23 are mounted in bushings 25 that in turn are flanged into the ears 24.These springs 22 are situated at suitable intervals around the wheel andany number of them may be employed. In small wheels it may be suflicientto have one spring only connected to each cross pin 21, but in largerwheels two or more of such springs arranged side by side might beconnected to each cross bar.

The flanges 7 also have pivoted therein pairs of levers 29, each ofwhich is pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends and the outer end ofwhich is adapted to bear against the interior face of the exterior rim,while the inner end of which is acted on by suitable springs. Theselevers 29 are arranged in pairs, as above stated, and the levers of eachpair are oppositely disposed, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. Each lever isshown as pivotally mounted upon a pivotal pin 32 which is supported inthe flanges 7 and we will preferably make each lever of a widthsubstantially equal to the distance between the flanges, as shown inFig. 4. Each lever carries at its inner end a suitable proiection hereinshown in the form of a stop pin 31 which plays in curved slots 35 formedin the flan e 7, said slots and stop pin 31 serving to imit the swingingmovement of the levers. The inner ends of the levers of each pair areyieldingly connected to each other by springs 38, and in the presentembodiment of our invention, each lever is connected by its spring orsprings 38 with a crossbar or pin 37 carried by the flanges, said crosspins being situated between the levers of each pair. The arrangement ofI springs is such that the springs for any pair of levers are connectedto the cross-bar between said levers, and, therefore, the springs 38tend to swing the inner ends of the levers of each pair toward eachother. The levers 29 are so shaped that when the parts are in their,natural condition, as shown in Fig. 1, the outer ends of the leversincline relative to a radial line and the outer ends of the levers ofeach pair are arranged to incline toward each other. When a load isapplied to the wheel, however, the wheel body will be forced downwardly,as shown in Fig. 2, and the engagement of the exterior rim with theouter ends'of the levers on the underside of the tire will swing saidlevers about their axes, thus placing the springs 38 under tension andat the same time placing under tension the springs 22 at the upper partof the wheel body. During this movement of the levers 29, the outer endswill have a slight sliding on the rim. In order to avoid friction, wepropose to use a roll 30 at the outer. end of each lever, said leversbeing formed to receive the rolls, as shown in Fig. 4, and each rollbeing rotatably mounted upon a pin 44 sustained in the forked end of thelever. The load sustained by the wheel will, therefore, be supportedpartially by the springs 22 at the upper portion of the wheel, andpartly by the springs 38 at the lower portion of the wheel, and wepropose to use as many springs as necessary to support any load whichthe vehicle is intended to carry.

With our construction it is possible to connect any desired number ofsprings 38 to each lever 29.

When the wheel is sustaining a load, as shown in Fig. 2 the springs 38at the bottom of the wheel will be under tension and the inner ends ofthe levers of each pair at the bottom of the wheel will be swung towardeach other. The change in position between the exterior rim and thewheel body brings the stops 24 at the bottom of the wheel into aposition to engage the roll 30 of one lever in each pair of levers onthe lower side of the wheel, and the engagement of the rolls 30 withthese sto 5 serves to prevent creeping of tlIBBXtGIIOI rim; It will benoted that the levers 29 are so dis posed that when the rolls 30 engagethe stops 24, the line of thrust between the roll and the stop issubstantially in line with the outer end of the lever. As the wheelturns while it is loaded, the springs will be successively brought intouse as above described, thereby resiliently supporting the load as willbe plain from the drawings. The overlapping of the flanges 7 and 15makes the wheel suiiiciently stiff laterallv so that it will withstandany strain to which it might be put in rounding corners, etc.

To obviate friction, we propose to place plates 40 between the flanges 7and 15 and to also make the rolls 3O hollow or provided with the oilchamber 41 which can be filled with oil, thus keeping the parts properlylubricated.

The rolls 30 are shown as fitting within the forked ends of the levers29 and as loosely mounted on pins 44 carried by said levers. Theconstruction herein shown makes the wheel perfectly resilient and at thesame time makes it still enough to withstand any strain to which thevehicle may be put in rounding a corner.

The tire whether a metal tire such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 or a rubbertire, such as shown in Fig. 3, is received between and held in place bythe outer edges of the plates or flanges 15. Where the tire is a rubbertire, as shown in Fig. 3, the outer edges of these plates may be curledover, as shown at 60, to form beads which are received within groovesformed in the edges of the rubber tire 20. This same construction can beemployed whether the tire is of metal or of some other material thanrubber. The tire can be readily removed by simply loosening the bolts 18and removing either one of the flanges 15.

\Vhile we have shown one embodiment of our invention, we do not wish tobe limited to the construction illustrated.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a resilient wheel, the combinationwith a wheel body, of an exterior rim separate therefrom, a plurality ofangular levers pivoted intermediate of their ends to the wheel body andarranged in pairs, the levers of each pair being oppositely disposed andthe outer ends of the levers being adapted to bear against the innerface of the exterior rim, an a contracting spiral spring connected tothe inner end of each lever and to the wheel body, said springs tendingto draw the inner ends of the levers of each pair toward each other.

2. In a resilient wheel, the combination with a wheel body, of anexterior rim separate therefrom, a plurality of bent levers pivotedintermediate of their ends to the wheel body and arranged in pairs, thelevers of each pair being oppositely disposed and the outer ends of thelevers being situated within the exterior rim and adapted to bearagainst the inner face thereof, springs acting on the inner end of eachlever and tending to swing the outer end thereof outwardly toward theexterior rim, and stop shoulders on the exterior rim to engage thelevers successively and thereby correct the creeping tendency of therim.

3. In a resilient wheel, the combination with a wheel body havingoutwardly-extending flanges, of an exterior rim separate from the body,levers pivoted intermediate of their ends between the flanges of thewheel body and situated entirely therebetween, said levers beingarranged in pairs with the levers of each pair oppositely disposed, eachlever carrying at its inner end a stop projection and the flanges havingslots in which said projections play and by which the swinging movementsof the levers are limited, and springs acting on the inner ends of thelevers and tending to force said ends of the levers of each pair towardeach other, the outer ends of the levers being adapted to bear againstthe exterior rim between said flanges.

4. In a resilient wheel, the combination with a. wheel body havingoutwardly-extending flanges, of a rim separate from the body and havinginwardly-extending flanges overlapping the flanges of the wheel body,pairs of levers pivoted between the flanges of the wheel body, thelevers of each pair being faced in opposite directions, a roll carriedby each lever and situated between said flanges, springs connected tosaid levers and operating to force the rolls against the inner side ofthe rim, slots in the flanges of the wheel body, and projectionsextending from the levers and playing in said slots thereby limiting theswinging movement of the levers.

5. In a resilient wheel, the combination with a wheel body havingoutwardly-extending flanges, of an exterior rim separate from the wheelbody, pairs of bent levers pivoted intermediate of their ends betweensaid flanges and situated entirely therebetween, springs connected tothe inner ends of said levers and extending at substantially rightangles to radial lines, said springs tending to force the outer endsthereof outwardly against the exterior rim, each lever having a stoprojection, slots in the flanges in which said projections play andwhich serve to limit the swinging movements of the levers.

6. In a resilient wheel, the combination with a wheel body havingoutwardly-extending flanges provided with slots, of an exterior rimseparate from the wheel body, pairs of bent levers pivoted intermediateof their ends between the flanges and received entirely therebetween,the levers of each pair being oppositely disposed, springs acting on theinner ends of the levers, each lever having a stop projection whichoperates in one of said slots, and stop shoulders on the exterior rimbetween said flanges to engage the levers successively and therebycorrect the creeping tendency of the exterior rim.

7. In a resilient wheel, the combination with a wheel body, of anexterior rim separate therefrom, a plurality of radiallyextendingcontracting spiral springs, each connected at one end to said rim and atthe other end to said wheel body, a plurality of bent levers pivotedintermediate of their ends to the wheel body and arranged in pairs, thelevers of each pair bein oppositely disposed and the outer ends 0? thelevers being adapted to bear against the inner face of the exterior rim,and springs acting on the inner end of each lever and tending to swingthe outer end thereof outwardly, each spring extendin inadirection atright angles to the radial inc.

8. In a resilient wheel, the combination with a wheel body, of anexterior rim separate therefrom, a plurality of bent levers pivotedintermediate of their ends to the wheel body and arranged in pairs, thelevers of each pair being oppositely disposed and the outer ends of thelevers being adapted to bear against the inner face of the exterior rim,the inner ends of said levers extending in substantially radialdirections, and a spring acting on the inner ends of the levers of eachpair which tend to draw said ends toward each other.

9. In a resilient wheel, the combination with a wheel body, of anexterior rim separate therefrom, a plurality of levers pivotedintermediate of their ends to the wheel body and arranged in pairs, thelevers of each pair being oppositely disposed, and the outer ends of thelevers being adapted to bear against the inner face of the exteriorrim,- a pin carried by the wheel body between each pair of levers, and aspring connecting the inner end of each lever of the pair to the pinsituated between said levers.

10. In a resilient wheel, the combination with a wheel body, of anexterior rim separate therefrom, a plurality of levers pivotedintermediate of their ends to one of said parts and adapted to engagethe penames to this specification, in the presence riphery of the otherpart, said lefvers being of two subscribing witnesses. arranged in pairsand the levers 0 each pair being oppositely disposed, and a spring act-S ing on one end of each lever, said springs ABLE extending in adirection at substantially Witnesses: right angles to a radial line.Loms C. SMITH,

In testimony whereof, we have signed our THOMAS J. DRUMMOND.

Correction in Letters Patent No. 1,124,349.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,124,349, grantedJanuary 12,

1915, upon the application of John A. Stable, of Boston, and Carl W.Stable, of Everett, Massachusetts, for an improvement in ResilientWheels, an error appears in the printed specification requiringcorrection as follows: Page 3, line 100, for the article the reada; andthat the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction thereinthat the same may conform to the record of the case in the PatentOtfice.

Signed and sealed this 30th da of March, A. D., 1915.

J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissionn of Patents- [snark]

